PRESS RELEASE- Inaugural Effie Awards South Africa Postponed to 2021

Johannesburg, April 21st 2020 –The Association for Communication and Advertising (ACA) announced today that the 2020 Effie Awards South Africa programme has been cancelled and that the inaugural Effie Awards South Africa are postponed with the events now scheduled to take place in July 2021.

The difficult decision to postpone the inaugural programme follows consultations with all relevant ACA stakeholders, including Effie Worldwide and the decision is reflective of the unprecedented challenges currently facing the entire world, and the industry specifically. The decision will also ensure that any uncertainty about the running of the awards and event for the industry and ACA and Effie South Africa partners is communicated timeously.

Mathe Okaba, CEO, Association for Communication and Advertising notes that in response to the continuing developments of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in South Africa and abroad, the decision has been an extremely difficult yet necessary one to make. “At the heart of Effies is effectiveness, and highlighting the incredible value our profession adds to business success. Agencies find themselves in a tumultuous period, having to effectively manage their own business needs while guiding and assisting brands through this difficult time. Focusing on this is key, and we do not wish to apply additional pressure in any form at this time. Our top priority is to protect the health and safety and overall wellbeing of the advertising and communications industry, our partners and stakeholders and therefore believe the decision is the correct one.”

A unique situation in South Africa has presented itself in that the global pandemic has occurred in parallel with the launch and entry period for the inaugural awards. The ACA has postponed the inaugural launch of Effie South Africa and will extend the eligibility period for campaigns once the new entry dates are communicated for 2021. This is being proposed in order to ensure that the work that worked in terms of standard entry eligibility is recognised and not overlooked as a result of the current challenges.

“The ACA’s priorities guide our strategy and our activities, and while this is a difficult decision, we believe it is the correct route of action to take. Together with the leadership of the ACA, the committee is taking every possible step to ensure that the postponement is just that, and furthermore that it does not negatively affect those agencies that are either in the process of, or have already submitted entries. We look forward to celebrating the most effective campaigns and to bringing the first ever Effie Awards to South Africa in 2021,” comments Kagiso Musi, Effie Awards South Africa Committee chair.

The focus will now centre on planning the new calendar of events for 2021, with the ACA fully committed to hosting the inaugural Effie Awards South Africa in the months ahead.

New entry dates and deadlines will be communicated in due course, as will updated campaign eligibility periods and adjudication dates.

“We’re experiencing uncertain times and as unfortunate as it may be, we all need to adapt. Going ahead this year could possibly have compromised the integrity of the awards and the future success thereof. We need to allow time for all to regroup, to refocus and return to a sense of relative normality. As we face these unprecedented challenges together, we assure all that we will soon return to Awarding Ideas That Work®,” concludes Okaba.